Radar Intercept Of UFO
I was a pilot attached to the 449th fighter interceptor squadron all weather at Ladd Air Force base outside of Fairbanks, Alaska in February 1954.We were flying F-94a's and F-94b's.
Our ground radar control station was code named crane control.
I had been scrambled off about 2:00 a.m. with my backseat radar observer.
We had made our intercept and were released by crane control.
As was the custom, we were flying about burning up fuel as it was unwise to land with much fuel left in the wing tip tanks.
We were about 50 miles northwest of Ladd when we were recontacted by Crane control.
They said that the Anchorage radar control station, whose name i have forgotten, had contacted them and that there was an object flying North at about 1,300 mph.
They handed off the contact to Crane control.
Remember, this was 1954, nothing flew that fast in 1954.
By chance we were in the flight path of the object.
This was February and at that latitude it was bitter cold and very black.
Crane control gave me a vector for an intercept.
My radar operator soon picked up the object and we had a head on intercept or very close.
Not the best situation, but i plowed right ahead and kept the bogey dead center.
It took only about 30 seconds for the intercept such as it was.
I was sure i was dead.
Nothing happened, no visual, no turbulence, no static or anything.
I did about a 3G 180° turn and my radar observer picked it up again and then it was gone.
Anchorage is about 250 nautical miles South of Fairbanks.
We were about 50 miles North so the entire event may have taken about 20 to 30 minutes.
This is no great story but I am 80 years old and don't want it to die with me.
The important point is that the object was picked up by 3 different radars.
It had mass and size enough to return a pretty good radar return.